By default, Trimble Connect Visualizertool that creates photorealistic renderings of the model or selected model objects and can be used for taking screenshots and creating animations that demonstrate the design and build options of the model

Trimble Connect Visualizer shows the model’s material types and sets it in a scene.

attempts to map the materials used in Tekla Structures to the material types used in the Trimble Connect Visualizertool that creates photorealistic renderings of the model or selected model objects and can be used for taking screenshots and creating animations that demonstrate the design and build options of the model

Trimble Connect Visualizer shows the model’s material types and sets it in a scene.

material catalogcatalog that displays material grades and information on them

By default, the material catalog contains standard, environment-specific materials. The user can add, modify, and delete material grades.

. You can also set material type mappings manually to define how you want materials to look in Trimble Connect Visualizer. If necessary, you can override the materials of particular model objects, and use another material instead.

1. On the View tab in Tekla Structures, click the arrow on the right side of Visualize.
2. On the menu, select Visualizer material type mapping.

3. In the lists on the right side of the related Tekla Structures materials, select the Trimble Connect Visualizer material types that you want to map to.
   

   Selecting the blank option renders the color of the Tekla Structures classpart property that groups parts according to identifiers given by the user
   
   The identifiers of classes are usually numbers. Classes can be used for defining the color of parts in the model, for example. Class does not influence the numbering of model objects.
   
   as a material that is similar to plastic. The blank option can be useful if you need to show the class colors to communicate an aspect of the structural design.

4. To override the Tekla Structures material of particular model objects in Trimble Connect Visualizer:
   
   1. In the model, select the objects.
   2. In the Override Visualizer materials of selected objects list, select the material that you want to use for visualizing the selected objects.
   3. Click Set.

   The selected override material is stored to the model objects' VISUALIZER_MATERIAL user-defined attributeobject property created by the user in order to widen the range of predefined object properties
   
   User-defined attributes are used when the predefined object properties are not sufficient but more properties are needed. For example, comment, locked, and erection status are user-defined attributes.
   
   , which you can see by inquiring the object properties.

5. Click OK to update the material type mapping.
6. To save the material type mapping as an XML file, do either of the following:
   

   To	Do this
   Save the material mapping to the model folder	When Tekla Structures asks you if you want to save the material mapping to the model, click Yes. The material type mapping is saved in the model folder under the \attributes folder. The file name is VisualizerMaterials.tcv11. The material type mapping is saved for all users of the model, including the users that edit the model using Tekla Model Sharing or the multi-user mode. Note: To avoid issues, do not modify the colors in the VisualizerMaterials.tcv11 file manually.
   Save the material mapping to local application data	When Tekla Structures asks you if you want to save the material mapping to the model, click No. The material type mapping is saved in the \Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Trimble\Tekla Structures\<version>\Trimble Connect Visualizer folder. The file name is VisualizerMaterials.tcv11. The material type mapping now applies to all projects that you are working on. Note: To avoid issues, do not modify the colors in the VisualizerMaterials.tcv11 file manually.